Brown Butter & Sage Pound Cake

It’s no secret that I love a good butter sage combo (evidence here and here), and the other day it popped into my head that I should use it in a sweet recipe. Why not? Extra butter is always a good idea (you can quote me on that). I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to make right up until the moment I started preheating my oven. Ultimately I landed on a lightly almond-scented pound cake with a rich browned butter and sage glaze on top.

It was experimental so I wasn’t entirely sure if it would turn out well, but one bite and I had officially impressed myself. I’m not one to toot my own horn, but I think this little cake is beyond delicious. Granted, it contains all the flavors I love most. It’s simple but decadent, and I can’t get enough.

Brown Butter & Sage Pound Cake

Yield: one 9x5 inch loaf cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1-¼ cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

⅓ cup whole milk

For the glaze:

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon chopped sage

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons whole milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300°F and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the extracts and beat well.

Gently mix in half of the flour mixture just until combined, then mix in the milk, then the remaining flour. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a toothpick entered in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan before removing and transferring the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, prepare the glaze. Melt the butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sage and continue to heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns golden and gives off a nutty scent. Set aside and allow to cool. Once cooled, whisk in the powdered sugar and milk (adding more milk as needed to create the desired consistency). Carefully pour the glaze over the cooled cake, allowing excess to drip down the sides.

Refine Baking Tips

If you’ve never browned butter before, go slow! The turn from perfectly browned butter to burnt butter happens in a matter of seconds. As soon as it turns golden brown and fragrant, remove from the heat since the butter will continue to brown from the residual heat of the pan.

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